Armenian Businessman Ayrapetyan Charged With Financial Machinations

ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN AYRAPETYAN CHARGED WITH FINANCIAL MACHINATIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 17 2014

17 July 2014 – 2:00pm

The Basmanny Court of Moscow has arrested shares of Bashneft, owned
by Sistema (84.4% of shares), as part of the Levon Ayrapetyan case.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, he earned $2
billion from selling the shares and was accused of money-wasting
and legalization of illegal income. Testimony of Igor Izmestyev, an
employee of the businessman and an ex-senator of Bashkiria serving
life imprisonment, was used as a reason for the detention, Kommersant
reports.

Ayrapetyan’s lawyer Igor Komarov said he could not comment on the
situation.

Ayrapetyan, the tenth richest Armenian businessman and one of the
main Nagorno-Karabakh sponsors, was detained at Domodedovo Airport
upon his arrival from Nice on Tuesday. He was taken to the 13th floor
of the President Hotel for questioning. The businessman owns half of
the floor. The police checked it. Two boxes with bullets were found.

Ayrapetyan is also suspected of being involved in Sergey Finagin’s
Kingiseppskaya Gang, allegedly responsible for carrying out
assassinations for banker Georgy Safiyev and then senator Igor
Izmestyev, Rosbalt reports.

His business started with the Ogonek magazine and the Komsomolskaya
Pravda paper. He developed contacts with many politicians and
businessmen, including Russian ex-Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin
and Bashkirian ex-President Murtaza Rakhimov. Ayrapetyan is an
active lobbyist for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He has even
discussed the Genocide with U.S. President Barack Obama.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress